The invention relates to quick-connect, quick-disconnect fluid couplers for coupling together fluid-conducting conduits, and relates more particularly to a multi-port fluid coupler for simultaneously coupling together a plurality of fluid-conducting conduits with a like number of other conduits.
Quick-connect, quick-disconnect fluid coupling devices (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cquick-action fluid couplersxe2x80x9d) are used in various applications for effecting a rapid connection between two or more fluid-conducting conduits. In general, a quick-action fluid coupler includes a plug member and a cooperative socket member. The plug member is inserted coaxially into the socket member to establish a flow path therebetween. Quick-action fluid couplers generally include a latching arrangement, typically comprising latching balls and detents, to hold the plug member in the socket member. In a quick-action fluid coupler designed to be connected while the fluid in the conduits is under pressure, the socket and plug members include valves that are closed when the plug and socket members are disengaged from each other. The valves are opened by the action of pushing the plug member into the socket member. Quick-action fluid couplers of this type are referred to herein as xe2x80x9cvalved, push-to-connectxe2x80x9d couplers. An example of a valved, push-to-connect coupling device is described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,717, incorporated herein by reference.
The quick-action fluid coupler described in the ""717 patent connects a single fluid-conducting conduit to another fluid-conducting conduit. In some applications, it is desirable to connect a plurality of conduits to a like number of other conduits, and to do so simultaneously. Various types of multi-port couplers have been developed in this regard. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,573 to McGarrah and U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,693 to Rakucewicz disclose a multi-port connector having valved push-to-connect coupling devices arranged in non-linear arrays in each of a socket member and a plug member. The plug member is manually pushed axially into the socket member until locking balls provided in the socket member are biased radially inwardly to engage an annular groove formed in the plug member, thus locking the members together. A drawback of this arrangement is that it can take significant axial force to overcome the fluid pressure on the valves in the coupling members so as to move the valves into their open positions. Some people may not find it possible to apply enough force to accomplish the connection, particularly when the fluid in the conduits is under substantial pressure. Additionally, the devices of McGarrah and Rakucewicz ensure proper alignment of the cooperative coupling devices by sizing two of the plug-type coupling devices 28 and 30 (FIG. 2) larger in diameter than the rest, and correspondingly making two of the socket-type coupling devices 52 and 54 (FIG. 6) larger than the rest. With this arrangement, it is possible to smear the plug-type coupling devices over the end faces of the socket-type coupling devices, which is undesirable because cross-contamination can occur between the different fluid supplies; furthermore, it may be desirable in some cases to have all of the coupling devices of the same diameter, which is not possible with McGarrah""s and Rakucewicz""s alignment arrangement.
The present invention addresses the above needs and achieves other advantages, by providing a multi-port fluid coupling having a cam arrangement for axially drawing the plug member into the socket member in a leveraged manner so that the fluid lines can be connected under pressure with relatively little manual force required, and/or having an alignment arrangement that ensures that no contact occurs between the cooperative coupling devices until the coupling members are in proper alignment relative to each other, thereby avoiding cross-contamination.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a quick-action multi-port fluid coupling for simultaneously connecting a plurality of first fluid lines to corresponding second fluid lines comprises a socket member and a plug member. The socket member has a tubular socket body defining a cavity therein, the socket member further comprising a plurality of valved, push-to-connect first coupling devices mounted within the cavity and arranged in a non-linear array. The plug member has a tubular plug body defining a cavity therein, the plug member further comprising a plurality of valved, push-to-connect second coupling devices mounted within the cavity of the plug body and arranged in a non-linear array matching that of the first coupling devices, each second coupling device being configured to connect with a corresponding one of the first coupling devices when the coupling devices are axially pushed together such that valves of the coupling devices are opened to establish a flow path therebetween. The plug body has a substantially cylindrical outer surface of smaller diameter than the inner surface of the socket body such that the forward end of the plug body is axially receivable into the forward end of the socket body to cause the front end faces of the second coupling devices to abut the front end faces of the first coupling devices, further axial movement of the plug body into the socket body causing the first and second coupling devices to be connected. The multi-port fluid coupling also includes cooperative first and second cam members respectively mounted on the socket member and plug member and engageable with each other upon initial engagement of the plug member with the socket member, one of the first and second cam members being rotatable relative to the other about an axis of the multi-port fluid coupling so as to axially advance the plug body into the socket body to connect the first and second coupling devices.
In one preferred embodiment, the cam members comprise cam followers mounted on the socket member and cam surfaces defined by slots in an actuator that is rotatably mounted about the plug body. When the plug body is initially engaged in the socket body, the cam followers engage the cam surfaces of the actuator. Rotation of the actuator about the axis of the coupling causes the cam followers to ride along the cam surfaces, thereby axially drawing the plug body into the socket body.
A coupling in accordance with the invention can also include male alignment members mounted on one of the socket and plug bodies and female alignment members defined in the other of the socket and plug bodies. The female alignment members are aligned with the male alignment members in only one rotational orientation of the plug body relative to the socket body in which orientation the first and second coupling devices are properly aligned. The male alignment members are arranged to contact the other of the socket and plug bodies to prevent the front end faces of the first and second coupling device from coming into contact until the male alignment members are engaged in the female alignment members. The male alignment members can comprise pins mounted on the plug member radially outward of the plug body and the female alignment members can comprise holes formed in the socket body for receiving the pins. The pins and holes are circumferentially spaced non-uniformly so that all of the pins align with corresponding holes in only one rotational orientation of the plug body. The pins preferably are arranged in pairs that are circumferentially spaced non-uniformly, and the spacing between the pins of each pair preferably is different from the spacing between the pins of the other pairs.